By Musa Mdluli

MBABANE:King Mswati has expressed eSwatini’s commitment to address climate change and other Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) challenges.

The King was speaking during the Heads of State Southern African Development Community(SADC) TFCA Summit held in Harare-Zimbabwe this week, he was represented by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini.

The TFCA challenges include climate change, land degradation and resource constraints.

\"Eswatini remains committed to addressing TFCA challenges, such as climate change, land degradation, resource constraints through dialogue and solutions aligned with the Paris Agreement and the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan. We applaud the innovative financing mechanisms as proposed that involve a broader range of stakeholders, governments, the private sector, local communities and international partners within the TFCAs. In Eswatini, our landscapes from the majestic Lubombo Plateau to the serene Malolotja Nature Reserve are more than natural wonders; they are the heartbeat of our communities and a legacy for future generations. The Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area (LTFCA), established in 2000 with Mozambique and South Africa under the SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement, reflects our collective resolve to protect shared ecosystems while advancing the African Union’s Agenda 2063 for a prosperous and integrated Africa,” he said as quoted by Government online platforms.  

The PM who was representing the King said, guided by the CBD’s Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the SADC TFCA Programme, Eswatini has made significant strides in the Lubombo TFCA by harmonising conservation with human development and has achieved Shared Stewardship towards ensuring sustainable ecosystem management.

“Communities have been empowered through training and the formation of natural resource committees that now have access to data on flora and fauna.  There has been the promotion of community-led tourism, climate-smart agriculture, and unlocked employment opportunities in furtherance of SDG 8 and SDG11 that talks to Decent Work and Economic Growth as well as Sustainable Cities and Communities,” he said.